hank
noun
a skein, as of thread or yarn.
hank
1 American
[hangk]
/ hæŋk /
noun
-
a skein, as of thread or yarn.
-
a definite length of thread or yarn.
A hank of cotton yarn measures 840 yards.
-
a coil, knot, or loop.
a hank of hair.
-
Nautical. a ring, link, or shackle for securing the luff of a staysail or jib to its stay or the luff or head of a gaff sail to the mast or gaff.
verb (used with object)
Hank
2
American
[hangk]
/ hæŋk /
noun
hank
British
/ hæŋk /
noun
-
a loop, coil, or skein, as of rope, wool, or yarn
-
nautical a ringlike fitting that can be opened to admit a stay for attaching the luff of a sail
-
a unit of measurement of cloth, yarn, etc, such as a length of 840 yards (767 m) of cotton or 560 yards (512 m) of worsted yarn
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of hank
1175–1225; Middle English < Old Norse hǫnk hank, coil, skein, clasp; akin to hang
Vocabulary lists containing hank
"The Ravine," Vocabulary from the short story
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Novel Study: Harriet Tubman, Chapters 1–10
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"We will continue our plans to celebrate the memory of hank Aaron during this season’s All-Star festivities," Manfredi said.
From Fox News • Apr. 5, 2021
My mother twisted another thick hank of hair into a scrap of cotton and sighed.
From Salon • Aug. 14, 2016
He sweeps a hank of dark hair out of his eyes.
From Washington Post • May 3, 2016
The blacks and whites—the hank of Owen’s hair, the white of his sleek leather shoes—are crisp and clear while the other colors are leached if not downright absent.
From Slate • Aug. 7, 2014
I notice that no one ever brought the Candor girl I warned to the elevator hank, which means she must have gotten away.
From "Insurgent" by Veronica Roth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
